The Book of Varkaanan Blade Dancers

[marted]

any cheaper proxys for these guys?

[quozl]

plastic chess pawns

[Sherman Davies]

The actual minis are $7.50 per squad at Miniature Market right now. That's pretty much what a squad of Heroscape minis cost back when the game was in production.

[obfuscatedhippo]

Working on a custom Varkaanan, and reading the Bio's for this was a great inspiration. Thanks c3v !! I really enjoyed the BIO for the Blade Dancers. Who wrote that one?

I combined all of the Bio's for the Varkaanan here:

Spoiler Alert!

VARKAANAN

Squads of the Varkaanan

Blade Dancers
Of the many military traditions cherished by the Varkaanans, Blade Dancing is the only one that is over a thousand years old. A Blade Dancer is taught that she must always be moving, always piercing and slashing with the massive swords she wields in each hand. Lightly armored but fast and deadly, the Varkaanan Blade Dancers deliver the first strike, and, in many cases, the only one necessary in the battles against their historic enemy, the Orcs.

In past eras, the Orcs, much smaller in physical stature, had been no match for the Varkaanans in military might. Numerous and bloodthirsty, the Orcs had squabbled in small tribes, fighting against themselves, too disorganized and fearful to meet the strength of the ancient Varkaanans. But lately something has changed. Orc champions, riding dinosaurs, have united the Orcs into an organized horde. Incursions have been made into once sacred, safe, and fertile lands, and many wolves have been lost.

The relentless Orcs are now massing, pressing into Varkaanan holdings. The seers and shamans had seen it, but few believed those prophesies. Now, the disparate tribes of the Varkaanan, the wolf people of Grut, must unite against this common foe.

The Blade Dancers, a sword in each hand, will be the vanguard. As always.

Darkclaws
The Varkaanan Darkclaws train in complete darkness; thus, their mastery over shadows gives them the edge in dark places. Any warrior knows how to cloak themselves in shadow, but the Darkclaws can use it to make themselves nigh invulnerable.

The Darkclaws fight fiercely - not with one blade, but two, enabling them to defeat twice the number of enemies. While superior numbers can overwhelm the rest of the Varkaanans, the Darkclaws simply fight on.

Greyspears
A spear is thrown and an orc falls to the ground, dead. This was a common sight on the planet of Grut, the world previously home to the Varkaanan Greyspears. The Greyspears are skilled at tracking their prey, leaving no stone unturned. And, once their quarry is found, they hurl their spears with pinpoint accuracy.

Like all of the Varkaanan Unique Squads, the Greyspears have the Wolf Pack special power. The Varkaanan howl at the moon, for the hunt has begun, and the forces of evil will finally feel fear.

Quickblades
While the Swiftfangs are a threat, the Quickblades are even deadlier. Vaulting to their targets, the Quickblades can unleash a slash quicker than lightning.

Swiftfangs
The first of the wolf pack is the Varkaanan Swiftfangs. These wolves are skilled at getting the jump on their enemies before they can react. Your opponent needs to be ready for the Swiftfangs at the start of each round, because order marker #1 makes them quick and powerful assassins.

Heroes of the Varkaanan

Arktos
The hunt has begun. Arktos is the ultimate hunter, throwing his great spear with incredible range and accuracy. Nearby hunters are inspired by his fearsome skills, their own aim becoming more deadly with his example. It is said that Arktos’s teachings survive beyond his death, increasing the aim of his closest students tremendously.

Bahadur
Snarling, Bahadur swings his mighty halberd and cleaves all who stand before him. Squads are easy prey to this mighty warrior of the Varkaanans; even his own kind proclaim that Bahadur is the most vicious Varkaanan of all time.

If Bahadur falls on the field of battle, his ferocity lives on in his allies; the only thing more frightening than facing the black wolf himself is facing those who avenge him.

Manauvi
Like Arktos and Bahadur, Manauvi's fighting prowess extends beyond his mortal shell, for, if he is felled, his spirit will find a worthy warrior, granting it extraordinary swiftness: the speed of the wolf.

The Varkaanans say that, once, Manauvi's great speed won an entire battle before the enemy had even begun to march. With his Battle Frenzy and Charging Assault special powers, it's no wonder why.

[Astroking112]

I can never remember if "placing" a figure subjects them to things like Engagement Strike or not. If a Varkaanan Blade Dancer is adjacent to Arkmer and vaults to the other side of him, would she have to roll for Engagement Strike 13 again?

[superfrog]

Placing would subject you to engagement strike. The question here though is if they ever leave the engagement. Given the phrase at the end that says they don't take leaving engagement attacks, it would seem that they do leave the engagement. As such, Arkmer would get to roll again.

[DanieLoche]

Originally Posted by superfrog

Placing would subject you to engagement strike. The question here though is if they ever leave the engagement. Given the phrase at the end that says they don't take leaving engagement attacks, it would seem that they do leave the engagement. As such, Arkmer would get to roll again.

IMO this explanation do not stand, as the "no leaving engagement attacks" stands mostly for multi-engagement situation, where a VBD could leap from one attack and become unengaged from another figure.


This question deserves an in-deep "officiel" answer from the C3V I guess.

[quozl]

Originally Posted by Astroking112

I can never remember if "placing" a figure subjects them to things like Engagement Strike or not. If a Varkaanan Blade Dancer is adjacent to Arkmer and vaults to the other side of him, would she have to roll for Engagement Strike 13 again?

Yes.

[Astroking112]

Thanks for the answers, everyone. @Filthy the Clown , would it be possible to get this added as a Q&A to the first post in case anyone else has the question?

[superfrog]

The real question is whether it would trigger the Cathar's Braced Spear. I'd guess not, based on a ruling in their book about them being "continuously engaged" when figures switch with Barge into Battle or the like.

[DanieLoche]

Originally Posted by superfrog

The real question is whether it would trigger the Cathar's Braced Spear. I'd guess not, based on a ruling in their book about them being "continuously engaged" when figures switch with Barge into Battle or the like.

Does it means that a flying figure engaged to a Cathar Spearman, that flyes and land engaged to it rolls for disengaging but do not triggers again Braced Spears ?

[superfrog]

No, because the spearman isn't engaged while the figure is flying. For a blade dancer, it's not clear (to me) that there's an "in between" step or state between leaving a space and being placed on another.